Knitting machine



March 5, 1946.

T. $.-HAYHURST KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1944.

Thomas S. Hay

12 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR' Eur-st L wa m.

ATTORNEYS March 5, 1946. T. s. HAYHURST KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVE NT R T/mmas Hay/ml"??? fih, +M wuw ATTORNEYS March 5, 1946. 'T. S. HAYHURST 2,395,319

' KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet s IENTOR Thomas; S. Ha hw'sf (ATTORNEYS March 5, 1946. 'r. s. HAYHURST 2,395,819

' KNITTING MACHINE .Filed April 15, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Thomas S. Hayham yaw/ /ATTORNEYS March 5, 1946. I

'r. s. HAYHURST I KNITTING MACHINE l2 SheetsSheet 6 Filed April 13, 1944 INVENTOR a SMW w." m 1M. ,5

I T. s. HA YHUR$T -2,395,819

KNITTING MACHINE.

Filed April 1s, 1'944 lzsheet -sheet 7 TI .11. 403 3&6 00 65k INVENTCSRI Thomas ,8. jiayhursi" ATTORNEYS v v March 5, 1946. T. s. HAYHURST KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1944 l2 Sheets-Sheet 8 mum .41.

March 5, 1946.

T. s. HAYHURST KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 115, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR Thoma: Haj/twist- BY WM ON NW Mal-ch 5, 1946. "r. S.- HAYHURST 2,395,319

vKNITTING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet 1o INVENTOR Thomas SHd hw'st" March 5, 1946 'r. HAYHURST KNI'T'I'ING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1944 12 Sheets-Sheet 11 T/wmds 1S- Ha karat? BY i ATTORKE4S 7 March 5,1946. 1'; s. HAYQHURST v 2 5 1 KNITTING MACHINE Fi led April 13, 1944 '12 Sheets-$heet 12 illllll' INVENTOR Thomas S. Hay/must I Patented Mar. 5, 1 946 UNITED, STATES PATENT .oFFI'cE KNITTING MACHINE Thomas S. Hayhurst, Belle Harbor, N. Y., assignor to Max Nydegger, Summit, N. J.

Application April 13, 1944, Serial No. 530,766

19 Claims.

One embodiment of my invention in a form adapted for use in an automatic multiple flat links machine is described in the following speci-. fication and shown in the appended'drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the right end of a links-links knittingmachine embodying the improved widening and narrowing devices and related mechanisms employed in fashioning;

Figure 2, a plan view from the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing portions of mechanisms positioned rearwardly and at the end of the machine shown in Figure l;

Figure 3, a horizontal section on the line 3-9 of Figure 1;

Figure 3A, a fragmentary viewin vertical section on the line 3A-3A of Figure 3;

Figure 4, an enlarged view, in front elevation and with parts broken away, of a portion of the end of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5, a fragmentary view on the line 5-4 of Figure 3 showing the control link associated with the automatic widening and narrowing control devices employed-in fashioning;

Figure 6,- an enlarged fragmentary view in plan I of a portion of Figure 3-and withparts broken away to show portions of automatic widening and narrowing control devices employed in fashioning;

Figure 7, a fragmentary view partly in vertical section on the line "l-l of Figure 6;

Figure 8, a fragmentary view partly in vertical section on the line 8- -8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9, a transverse vertical section on the line 9--9 of Figure 6;

Figure 10, a transverse vertical section on the I line lO-IO of-Figure 6: V

Figure 11, a transverse vertical section on the line ll-Il of Figure 6 showing portions which control movement more particularly of the Jack I positioning or conditioning devices in widening I and narrowing for fashionin Figure 12, a transverse vertical section on the line l2-l2 of Figure 6;

Figure 13, a transverse vertical section on the line I 3l3 of Figure 6, showing portions which control movement more particularlyhf decking. rack skip, and thread change devices in widening and narrowing for fashioning;

Figure 14, a transverse vertical section on the line ll of Figure 3;

Figure 14A, a fragmentary plan view, enlarged, with parts in horizontal section showing portions of the thread change and lead change devices in relation to the stitch cam drive and the thread carrier and brushactuating 'devices in a course from left to right; I

Figure 15, a portion of Figure'l4 further enlarged to more clearly show parts of needle jack conditioning devices; Figure 16, a view partly in longitudinal vertical section on the line iB-IG of Figure 15 andwith portions broken away and with some parts removed; p

Figure 17, a horizontal section on enlarged scale on the line l'll'l of Figure 15; and

Figure 18, an enlarged plan view of parts of the left end portion of the machine with some parts removed and some broken away,

As shown in Figure 15, the needle jacks 28, are selectively positioned to effect narrowing and widening, as well as other pattern characteristics, by a group or set of control jacks for each needle,

including the push jack I93, connecting Jack 294 engaging an under edge portion of said push jack,

,a main jack 293, an interposed jack 295, and a cross jack 29l. I

In fashioning, the effect of said control jacks on the positioning of the needle jacks is deter- 1 mined by cross Jack 29! and said interposed jack '295 engaged thereby. Thus, when said cross jack is moved outwardly, left Figure 15, interposed jack 295 is displaced from its normal operative position so that connecting jack 294 is not influenced by any positioning lift of main jack 299. Accordingly, the corresponding push jack 1 93 and needle jack 28 remain or'become idle and the' fabric is narrowed tothat extent in the next course. Said jacks can be restored to active con-' dition for widening only when interposed Jack 295 again occupies its normal position between connecting jack 294 and main -jack 293.

Each operation of narrowing in fashioning is accompanied by a decking operation. Where the narrowing includes idling of two needles'at each edge, for example, stitches are transferred inwardly from a ground needles including said two idled needles to a group of corresponding s number located inwardly and adjacent to said two idled needles. Therefore, some of said control jacks are also conditioned to position the predetermined number of needles for decking in proper synchronism with the idling or narrowing step.

Accordingly, cams 311, 312 and 313, 314 which operate said cross jacks 23l, as two at each edge with each step of narrowing, are mounted on and moved respectively by endwise movement of rods 32l and 322, Figure'l'l; The lift plates 345 and 366, each of which imparts conditioning movement to the group of main Jacks at each edge of the work selected for decking, are mounted on and are moved to the extent of two needles with each step of narrowing by endwise movement of rods 35!! and 351 respectively, Figure 16. ,Movement of rods 321, 322, 356 and 351 in the reverse Figure 9, to move said nuts 356 and 358 simultaneously in opposite directions.

- The mechanism presently to be described controls the direction and extent .of rotation of said worm shafts 356 and 361 and of the resulting endwise movement of the several slide rods 321, 322, 356 and 351 actuated thereby. Said movement determines how many and which needles shall be involved in each widening or narrowing operation and in the decking operation immediately preceding each narrowing. Accordingly, sprocket 364 on the outer end portion of the worm shaft 361, is driven by a chain 361 actuated by a sprocket 368 on intermediate shaft 369 for widening and narrowing or fashioning control, Figures 6 to 13.

Mechanism is also provided wherebyportions of decking, thread feeding, thread change, and

rear bed needle jack pushing in or actuating devices are positioned or conditioned in synchronism or spaced time relation with said narrowing and widening movements of said slide rods 321, 351 and 322, 350 respectively.

For positioning the holder or carrier 183 of the deckerpoints 162 longitudinally of the needle bed, connection is made between said fashion- -ing shaft 363; another intermediate'shaft- 315, decker drive shaft 645, and worm shaft 186. Figshaft 315 and chain655, Figures 1, 2, 6. -14, and

14A. Thread carriers 13, Figure 14A, are mount- .ed on supports or bars 20 and brushes 2| are mounted on supp rts or bars 22. Said bars 20 and 22 are driven from arm 56 actuated by chain 58, Figure 2. Said bars 20 are releasably connected with arm 55 by keepers 158 on arm 196 carried by bracket 51 on driving arm 56. Said bars 22 are connected with said arm 56 through bracket 54. ening, the thread and brush carriersoperate over courses which vary in length-in accordance with the number of needles idled or added; and nortions of the thread change mechanism i c udi the thread carrie retaining heads I52, I53 and connected devices are adjusted correspondingly so that a thread change may be made in any course and at any condition of widening and narrowing.

For this purpose, said head, as I54, Figure .14A,- carrying devices for releasably retaining said thread carrier bars 20 and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 530,763, are moved with brackets, as 81 and 64, Figure 2, ac-

tuated by rotation of said worm shaft 155 which also simultaneously repositions sprockets 60 and 83 engaging chain 55 which drives said arm 56.

Where racking over two needles, for example, takes place in accurse employing less than all the needles in each section, it is clear that with the active needles positioned for one and one or links-links operation, as is customary in racking, certain active needles in the rear bedwill be brought intoalignment with certain inactive needles at rest-in the front bed. Thus in each needle section, one active end needle in the rear bed will come opposite an inactive needle in the front bed. The next. normal jack and needle positioning motion, as by a rear push-in bar I91, Figure 3, would therefore cause said active rear bed needl to be pushed into the slot occupied by said inactive front bed needle.

As shown in Figure 3, the rear push-in bar 131 is cut away at spaced intervals to form rack skip' openings or slots '16 la in its needle jack engaging edge, One such opening is provided for each needle section and is of such extent and so positioned as to lie above the rearneedie bed with at least a portion thereof opposite those two of the needle bed slots holding the first two needles beyond the last active needle working in the front bed. Connection of said rear push-in bar 131 with fashioning shaft 363 to insure proper operative relation of said rack skip slots liila under all conditions of widening and narrowing, is made through shaft 315, worm shaft 645, and shaft 666, ures 3, 6, and 14.

As shown in Figure 12, a sprocket or sprocket wheel 31! loosely mounted on shaft 369 is driven continuousfy in one direction by a chain 312 from a drive sprocket or sprocket wheel 313 secured on main drive shaft 6, Figure 9.

A sprocket or sprocket wheel 314 loosely mounted on shaft 315 is driven continuously in the opposite direction by said chain 312 which also engages an idler sprocket or sprocket wheel 316 on a shaft 311.

Accordingly, in narrowing and widsprocket wheels 311 and 316, respectively, co-,

operate with each other and with other devices to actuate shaft 369 in widening and narrowing.

Shaft 315 is actuated by similar but slightly modified devices at the right, Figure 6, of said sprockets 311 and 314 respectively to effect adjustments of decking, thread carrying and changing, and rack-skip mechanisms in connection with widening and narrowing.

' Control of the direction and extentof rotation of fashioning shaft 363, and hence of the selection of needles to be idled in narrowing, or to be conditioned for return to active knitting in widening, and control of the direction and extent of rotation of shaft 315 and hence of the direction and tween said shaft 369 and said sprocket 31! and between shaft 315 and said sprocket 314.

In the illustrated embodiment, Figures 6, '11

and 12, said sprocket 31! has a pawl supporting lug 318 extending to theieft, Figure 6, toward ratchet wheel 319, and a similar pawl supporting lug 319- extending to the right but angularly spaced from said lug 318. A narrowing pawl 389, Figure 11, is mounted at the end of lug 318 in position to engage said ratchet wheel 319 keyed on shaft 369; and a similar narrowing pawl 38!, Figure 13, is mounted at the end of lug 319 in position to engage ratchet wheel 384 secured to the hub 392 of a sprocket wheel 39! loosely mounted on shaft 369, Figures 8 and 13. Pawl 389 is biased by a spring 382 interposed between said pawl and an arm 383 also extending laterally from sprocket 31! adjacent to lug 318, Figure 11.

A similar arrangement at the right of sprocket 31!, Figure 6, biases pawl 38! by means of spring 382a bearing on an arm 383a, Figure 13.

The narrowing control devices including the ratchet wheel 319 fixed on fashioning shaft 369 in said Figure 11, has its interior cylindrical surface 99! concentric with shaft 315. The thickness of plate 399 is such as to provide an adequate guide bearing and retainer for said pawls 389 and 386, portions of which ride on the interior surfaces 499 and 49! thereof, respectively.

Pawl guiding surface 499 is interrupted by a long gap for narrowing to the extent of two needles as shown, and guiding surface 49! by a short gap, for widening to the extent'of one needle, as shown. It will be apparent that when, during rotation of drive sprocket 31!, Figure 12, and

and its pawl 389 cooperate with widening control devices including the ratchet wheel 385 loose on shaft 315. widening pawl 386, and the sprockets 395 and 398, Figure '1, to control the direction and extent of rotation of shaft 369. Said pawl 386 is mounted at the end of a pawl supporting lug 38? extending to the left of said sprocket 314 loose on shaft 315, Figure 6.

As seen in Figure 13, the narrowing control devices including the ratchet wheel 384, loose on shaft 369, pawl 38!, and the sprockets 39! and 394, Figure 8. cooperate with widening control devices including the ratchet wheel 388 keyed on shaft 315 and the widening pawl 389 which is Sprocket 395, Figure 7, is loose on said shaft 315 and secured; as by' screws, to hub 396 of ratchet wheel 385, Figure 11. A chain 391 connects sprocket 395 with the sprocket 398 keyed to shaft 369. Figure 1.,

The machine illustrated in the drawings provides selective clutch control devices which permit'narrowing by one notch, narrowing by two notches, and widening by one notch." The same control devices determine the direction and extent of rotation of shafts 369 and 315. Although mounted at the end of a pawl supporting lug 399 with the parts positioned as shown in Figure 6, the lug 318 thereon'is advanced clockwise, Figure 11, the heel of pawl 389, will disengage guide surface 499 as it passes the edge 499a thereof, unless prevented by control means to be described. During such disengagement, the nose of pawl 389 is deflected inwardly by the spring 382 to engage a tooth of ratchet wheel 319 and so to advance said wheel and rotate shaft 369 through a corresponding angle to effect narrowing. This motion will be arrested as soon as the heel of pawl 389 re-engages guide surface 499 at edge 499D.

Pawl 396 operates in a similar manner but opposite direction, to effect widening,being dis-' engaged fr'om its guide surface 49! at edge 49l'a and re-enga'ged therewith at edge 49Ib, unless obstructed, as by closing of the short gap, be-

tween edges Mia and 49!b. The rotation of shaft 369, when effected as above described, does not rotate sprocket 39! which is loose thereon, I

Figure 8. Hence no motion is transmitted by said shaft 369 to shaft 315 through chain 393 and sprocket 394, Figure 9. These are,however, subsequently rotated to a like extent in each change the aforesaidgaps 49911-4992:- and 49'!i-49!b" in plate 399 to actuate shaft 369 comprise a gate assembly including a block'492 secured'to a slide bar 493 provided with a lug 494, Figure 6, and

mounted to slide endwise to and from different operative positions. Controlled endwise sliding movement is imparted to said slide bar 493 by a yoke lever 495 secured at the upper end of vertical shaft 493 and actuated to advance and the latter operates in each instance shortly after the former, all settings and repositionings ar completed in the same change cycle.

Said control is'exercised in part through the pawls 389 and 386 at the left of sprockets-31| and 314 and through the pawls 38! and 389 at the right thereof, Figure 6.

Means for controlling the operation and extent of movement of the above mentioned pawls 389 and 386 and their respective ratchet wheels 819 and 385, Figure 11, and thus to actuate shaft 369 include a fixed plate 399 provided with spaced openings, one .of which, left in said Figure 11, has its interior cylindrical surface 499 concentric with shaft 369 and the other of which, right retract said bar different distances by any suitable means. 'In the automatically controlled machine, as illustrated in the drawings, an arm 495a. on the lowerend of shaft 496 is pivotally connected at its outer end with a link 892, Figure 3, which is actuated endwise to swing said am 495a to and from different angular positions by means indicated in part in Figures 1, 3 and 5.

As shown in Figures 6 and 11, block 492 on slide bar 493 carries-at one side (right, Figure 6) a narrow gate piece 491 having a. cylindrical une der surface which, when moved left, Figure 6,

to an operative position in the long gap of frame 399, closes the same to prevent any deflection of pawl 389 during rotation of drive sprocket 31!.

' Spaced from said gate piece 491 and at the other (left) side of block 492, Figure 6, is a wide f gate piece 496 having a cylindrical under surface 499, Figure 11, the upper portion of which extends across the whole width of said gate piece 498. The lower portion of said under surface is interrupted by a recess 9 about halfv the width of said surface and forming therewith a disengagement edge at 4! Figure 11. This arrangement provides in effect a gate piece with. along cylindrical under surface and an adjacent short cylindrical under surface. Thus, when saidgate moved farther to the right to bring the unrecessed or long outer portion of its cylindrical under surface opposite the path of pawl 380, the long gap 400a400b will remain closed during rotation of drive sprocket 3".

Block 402 also carries a third gate piece 412, Figure 11, positioned to close short gap 40la40ib in all positions of block 402 except that wherein gate piece 401 is in position to close the long gap 400a-400b previously described.

Slide bar 403 which carries; the block 402 and the set of gate pieces 401, 400 and 412, Figure 11, above described, also carries a similar block 402a, Figure 13, and anothersimilar set of gate pieces, both of which sets are selectively movable simultaneously by said bar 403 to and from a neutral and three operative positions in relation to the pawls 360 and 386, Figure 11, and pawls 38! and 339, Figure 13, respectively. For example, as to pawls 380 and 386, in a first operative or extreme left position, Figure 6, of said slide bar 403, the long gap 400a400b is closed by gate piece 401;

- and the short gap 40|a-- 40lb, Figure 11, is open.

This permits operation of pawl 386 during rotation of sprocket 31! to actuate shaft 369 counterclockwise, Figure ll, through sprocket 395, chain 361, and sprocket 398, Figure '7, to the extent of one notch for widening.

A second operative position of slide bar 403 is that shown in full lines in Figure 6, and. wherein the long gap is full Open and the short gap is closed by gate piece 2. This permits operation of pawl 380 to actuate shaft 369 through ratchet wheel 310, two notches for narrowing.

In a, third operative position of said slide bar 403, the recess of gate piece 408 comes opposite the path of movement of pawl 390 to actuate shaft 369 one notch for narrowing; and the short gap 40la-40Ib is closed by gate piece 4I2.

In the neutral or extreme right position of slide bar 403, Figure 6, gate piece 403 closes the long gap (narrowing) and gate piece 412 closes the short gap (widening). In this position of said gate pieces, no pawl is actuated and both shafts 369 and 315 remain at rest.

Operation of the devices for controlling the position of slide bar 403 is so timed in relation to the angular position of the pawl carrying sprockets 31I and 314- that selective endwise movements of said bar 403 occur only when the pawls carried by said sprockets are in retracted condition, 1. c. with their heel portions riding respectively 'on the several cylindrical guiding and retaining surfaces 400 and 401 0: the openings in the plate 399, Figure 11, and surfaces 413 and 414 of the openings inplate 4| 5, Figure 13.-

As shown in Figures 6 and 9, the shaft 369 has keyed thereto a notched wheel 6 cooperating with a spring pressed friction detent 411; and

angular distance from one peripheral notch to the next on said wheel 416. The detents 4i and 419 bear frictionally on the peripheries of said notched wheels 416 and 6, respectively, to ar-,

rest rotation of shafts 369 and 315 and thus more accurately control the extent of movement of positioning of the selective jack actuating devices in widening and narrowing; whereas the pawls 38! and 389 operating shaft 315, Figure 13, control movement of translation of the thread feeding and thread changing, the rack skip means and the decking devices. Movement is transmitted to the latter from shaft 315, through a sprocket 420 thereon, a chain 42L an auxiliary sprocket 420a and an auxiliary chain 421a, Figure 12, to a decker assembly moving shaft 645, Figures 1 and 2. Sprocket 420a is loose on shaft 315 and has a spring connection with sprocket 420 for controlling backlash or lost motion. In a suitable arrangement for this purpose, not illustrated, the hub of sprocket 420a for example is provided with spaced arcuate recesses, each of which receives a compression spring with one end thereof bearingagainst an end of the recess.

' Sprocket 420 has lugs each extending laterally into one of said recesses and each engaging the other end Of the spring therein.

Said pawls 381 and 389 also control widening and narrowing movement of the brackets BI and 84, Figure 2, thereby effecting equivalent adjustment of the idler gears 80 and 93 connected'with thread feeding and of the heads I52 and 153 connected with the threadchange mechanisms. For this purpose the screw shaft 155, Figure 2, carries a sprocket 654 driven by a chain 655 from sprocket 656 fixed at the end, right, of shaft 315, Figure l. The connection for control of the rack skip devices via shaft 648 is made through sprocket 653 at the inner, left, end of shaft 315,

movement of the narrowing cams 3H and 313, Figure 17, past one cross jack 291, and transverse second and "third positions.

movement of lifting plates 345 and 346, Figure 16, past the corresponding main jack 293, the described two notch rotation of shaft 369 effected by the control parts in their said "second position will produce narrowing by two needles at each edge of the work. The third" position which produces a one notch rotation of shaft 369 will, therefore, produce narrowing by one needle at each edge.

With slide bar 403 in the "first" position, as above described, i. e. with the long gap closed and the short gap open, shaft 369 is rotated in the opposite direction from that occurring in the In this case, said shaft rotates only one notch which therefore produces widening at each edge of the fabric by one needle.

Considering further the mode of operation of pawls 38| and 369, Figure 13, it is noted that these pawls are mounted on the lugs 3 19 and '(dotted), respectively, in the direction'of rotation of said sprockets,- as shown by the arrows applied thereto. As seen in Figures 6 and i3, slide bar 403 carries the block 402a and a second set of gate pieces like those previously described in connection with block 402, Figure 11, and actuated simultaneously therewith to control the long gap inguide surface 4| 3 and the short gap in guide surface 4 of plate 415. Accordingly, during each rotation of sprockets 311 and'314,

with bar 403 inthe first, second, or third posi- In terms of operating result, controlled movement of devices employed in selecting needles for widening and narrowing and for decking is transmitted from main shaft 6 through the intermediate shaft 369; whereas for decking, thread .feeding and thread change, andskip slot positioning in racking, corresponding adjustment thereof is effected through the intermediate shaft 315. Control in widening and in the corresponding outward movement of translation or adjustment of portions of the aforesaid decking and. other controlled devices is related to sprocket 314; whereas control in narrowingand in the corresponding inward movement of translation or adjustment of portions of the decking and other controlled devices is related to, sprocket 31 I Manual adjustment of fashioning-devices and connected mechanisms Under conditions which require manual adjust- I ment of the fashioning devices and other instrumentalities operatively connected therewith, lengthwise of. the needle bed, shafts 399 and 316, Figure 6, are rotatable 'by hand; For this pur pose, a hand wheel 369a is secured to an end portion of one of them, for example shaft 399, so that said shaft may bejmanuall'y rotated at will in either direction when slide bar 463 is in neutral position. This directly controls the p a. sition of devices actuated by said shaft through chain 361120 narrow the fabric by idling prede-.

asse s lent of movement of the widening devices to the rowing. This adjustment brings the parts into proper .operative relation procedure.

Manual operation of shaft 369 as above defor normal knitting scribed is effected independently of rotation of main drive shaft 6, because the narrowing pawls 380 and 381 and the widening pawls 386 and 389 are maintained out of engagement with their respective ratchet wheels by the gates 408, 408a, H2 and 2:1, with slide bar 403 in inoperative position.

Active needle indicator As shown inFigure 6, a device for continuously indicating how many needles are idle and/or working includes an adding and subtracting instrument 422 of any suitable construction connected by a pinion 423 to a gear 424 on shaft 369. In amultiple machine, i. e. one having a plurality of needle sections, each set of cooperating front and rear knitting cams will be adjusted initially to operate over a given maximum number of needles. During full width operation, this is the number which will be indicated at,the

window 425. Assuming such as number to be 280,

if the initial courses of the work are narrower than later courses, the" indicator can be set to show the actual number of active needles employed at the start. Thereafter during widening and narrowing the indicator reading will vary in response to each widening and narrowing rota- I tion of shaft 369. This arrangement provides a convenient check on the accuracyof the needle 7 control devices.

termined edge needles. and to widen it by restoring saidneedles to active condition. a

Equivalent and simultaneous widening and For this purpose, said sprocket m is fitted with laterally extending lugs 393a and sprocket:

39lwith similar lugs 39la. The angular-extent of said lugs and their arrangement on the respective sprockets is such that, at each rotation of shaft 369 in either directionvthere is a lag rotation of shaft 315." For example, with shaft 399 rotating in thedirection of widening, it will turn to the extent'of one notch, or the equiva- 75 machine operation.

The above described mechanisms provide adequately flexible and positively operating devices for co-ordinatin'g various functions in knitting They are effectively employed especiallyin a full automatic multiple machine of the links type, wherein instrumen-" talities are provided by which the widest range of pattern variations or characteristics can be 'introduced'into the product. Thus, where the contour-of the product requires narrowing and widening steps, i. e. the idling and activating of end or edge needles in some predetermined sequence, my improved control mechanism insures not only accurate and certain idling but also the necessary corresponding adjustments of decking, thread feeding. thread changing, and rear push- 1. in a straight knitting machine having a mubetween the beginning of that rotation and the in devices, the adjustment of the latter being related to racking.

The above described" mechanisms are also shown and described but not independently claimed in my co-pending application Serial No.

530,761 'filed herewith and of which the application is in effect a division.

I claim:

present rality of needle lacks and independent needles,

- a plurality of sets of control jacks operatively connected thereto, cams operatively engaging portions of said sets of control jacks, and means for moving said cams to and from difierent operative positions to actuate different sets of control jacks, the combination of an intermediate shaft operatively connected t actuate said cam moving means, a drive shaft, 2. (dutch operatively interposed between said drive shaft and said intermediate shaft, and means for moving portions of said clutch to and from different positions in relation to other portions thereof to vary the extent of rotation imparted to said intermediate shaft from said drive shaft.

2. In a straight knitting machine having a pluralitv of needle jacks and independent 'needles, a plurality of sets of control jacks operatively connected thereto, cams operatively engaging portions of said sets of control jacks, and means for moving said cams to and from difierent operative positions to actuate different sets of control jacks, the combination of an intermediate shaftrality of needle jacks and independent needles, a

plurality of sets of control jacks operatively connected thereto, cams operatively engaging portions oi said sets of control jacks, and means for moving said cams to and from different operative positions to actuate diiferent sets of control jacks,

the combination of an intermediate shaft operatively connected to actuate said cam moving means, a drive shaft, a clutch operatively interposed between said drive shaft and said intermediate shaft, and means for moving portions of said clutch to and from difierent positions in relation to other portions thereof to vary the direction and extent of rotation. imparted through said clutch to said intermediate shaft from said drive shaft.

4. In a straight knitting machine having independent needles and instrumentalities some of which are adjustable in one direction for nor rowing and in the opposite direction for widening and others of which are convergently ad- Justable for narrowing and divergently adjustable for widening, and separate means for moving said instrumentalities to effect said adjustments, the combination of a drive shaft rotatable in one direction, a pair of intermediate shafts each rotatable in opposite directions and one of which is operatlvely connected to said means for movin some of said instrumentalities and the other of which is operatively connected to said means'for moving others of said instrumentalities, clutch means operatively positioned between said drive shaft and each of said intermediate shafts and including a rotatable pawl carrier and Pawl mounted thereon, each in fixed an ular sp c relation to the other, and, means for simultaneously moving portions of said clutch means into operative position in relation to said pawls to br ng One and then the other thereof into on ative position to rotate one and then the other of said intermediate shafts.

5. In a straight knitting machine, having independent needles cam means and decking devices adjustable convergently for narrowing and divergently for widening, and separate means for moving said cam means and said decking devices asses-1e respectively to eifect said convergent and diver gent adjustments, the combination of a drive shaft rotatable in one direction a first intermediate shaft rotatable in opposite directions and operatively connected to said means for movin the cam means, a second intermediate shaft rotatable in opposite directions and operatively con nected to said means for moving the docking devices, clutch means operativeiy interposed be tween said drive shaft and said respective intermediate shafts; means for simultaneously moving portions of said clutch means to and from different positions in relation to other portions thereof to Vary the direction and extent of rotation of said intermediate shafts, said clutch means including pawls mounted in angularly spaced relation on a rotatable carrier. and one of which operates to effect rotation of said first intermediate shaft and the other of which open ates to effect rotation of said second intermediate shaft during a single rotation of said drive shaft.

6. In a straight knitting machine provided with independent needles and having fashioning devices whereby the needles are idled for narrowing and are rendered active for widening and wherein other devices are provided as for decking, for

operating thread and brush carriers, and for changing thread, the combination of a fashioning control shaft, a sprocket loosely mounted thereon, a sprocket fixed thereon and arranged and adapted to drive said fashioning devices,,a secondary shaft arranged and adapted to drive said other devices, means for effecting operative driving connection between said loose sprocket and said secondary shaft, means for manually rotating one of said shafts, and means interposed between said loose sprocket and said fixed sprocket to rotate one of said sprockets when the other sprocket is actuated by rotation of one of said shafts. r

7. In a' straight knitting machine, having a needle bed, independent needles therein, a thread carrier operatively arranged in relation to said needles, and thread carrier driving means, the combination of a needle position controlling cam. means for moving said cam in one direction to idle said needles in narrowing and in the 0D- posite direction to activate said needles in widening, and means operatively connected to said thread carrier driving means and to said cam moving means to diminish the extent of thread feeding movement of said thread carrier drivin means when said cam is moved in the direction to idle said needles and to increase the extent of thread feeding movement of said thread carrier driving means when said cam is moved in theopposite direction.

8. In a straight knitting machine having a needle bed, independent needles therein, a brush carrier opera'tively arranged in relation to said needles, and brush carrier 'driving means, the combination of a needle position controlling cam, means for moving said cam in one direction to idle said needles in narrowing and in. the opposite direction to activate said needles in widening, and means operativelyconnectedto said brush carrier driving means and to said cam moving means to diminish the extent of operative movement of said brush carrier driving means when said cam is moved in the direction to idle said needles and to increase the extent of operative movement of said brush carrier driving means when said c m is moved in the opposite direction.

9. In a straight knitting machine having a needle bed, independent needles therein, a plurality of reciprocatable thread carrier supports, thread carriers mounted on said supports and operatively arranged in relation to said needles, adjustable means for releasably retaining said thread carrier supports in inoperative position, and driving means for reciprocating said thread carrier supports, said driving means including devices for engaging and disengaging said supports, the combination of a needle position controlling cam, means for moving said cam in one direction to idle said needles in narrowing and in the opposite, direction to activate said needles in widening, and means operatively, connected to said adjustable thread carrier support retaining means and to said cam moving means to efiect adjusting movement of said retaining means in one direction when needles are idled by said'cam for narrowing and in the opposite direction when needles are activated by said cam for widening.

10. In a straight knitting machine having a needle bed, independent needles therein, a decker point carrier movable in stitch transferring operations toward said needle 'to engage stitch loops thereon and away from said needles to 2 said cam and to said decker point carrier to effect movement of said carrier longitudinally of said needle bed i in one direction when needles are idled by saidcam for narrowing and in the opposite direction when needles are activated by said cam for widening.

said intermediate shaft. h

13. In a straight independent needle knittingmachine having instrumentalities adjustable for to other of said instrumentalities, a first sprocketv loosely mounted on said first-intermediate shaft and connected to be driven from said drive shaft,

a second sprocket loosely mounted on said-first intermediate shaft and operatively connected to drive said second intermediate shaft, a first ratchet wheel secured onsald first intermediate shaft, a second ratchet wheel secured to .saidjsecond sprocket, a first pawl pivoted on and rotatable with said first sprocket and arranged and adapted to actuate said first ratchet wheel and said first intermediate shaft, and a second pawl pivoted,

on said first sprocket in angularly spaced relation to said first pawl, said second pawl being rotatable with said first sprocket" and arranged and adapted to actuate said second ratchet wheel, said second sprocket and said second intermediate shaft in spaced time relation to actuation of said first intermediate shaft.

14. In astraight independent needle knitting machine having instrumentalities adjustable in one direction for narrowing and in the opposite direction for widening, the combination of a pair,

of intermediate shafts arranged and adapted to 11. In a straight knitting machine having op- I posed needle beds one of which is movable for racking, independent needles and needle jacks therein, means for effecting racking movement of said movable bed, a needle jack actuating pushin bar operatively related to the needle jacks in said movable bed, means for movi said push-in bar in a direction to actuate said needle jacks, and means for moving said push-in bar in the direction of racking movement of said movable narrowing or widening and a drive shaft, the

combination of an intermediate shaft, a sprocket loosely mounted on said intermediate shaft and connected to be driven from said drive shaft, a ratchet wheel secured on said intermediate shaft, a pawl pivoted on and rotatable with said sprocket and biased in a. direction to engage said' ratchet wheel, means disposed in a portion of the path of said pawl for retaining said pawloutof a engagement with said ratchet wheel, a gate piece,

and means for moving said gate piece into-and out of .loperative relation to the remaining portion of the path of said pawl whereby, when said gate piece is in said operative relation, said pawl remains disengaged from said ratchetwheel and,

when said gate piece is out of said operative relaactuate said instrumentalities, a ratchet loosely mounted on each shaft and connected to a driving sprocket, a driven sprocket secured to each shaft, a ratchet secured to each'shaft, a rotatable pawl carrier loosely mounted on eachshaft, each. pawl carrier having a pair of pawls, one arranged to actuate said ratchet connected to the driving sprocket and the other arranged to actuate said ratchet secured to the shaft, and a chain con necting the driving sprocket on each shaft with the driven sprocket on the other shaft, means for effecting engagement and disengagement of said pawls with said ratchets, and means for actuating said rotatable pawl carriers.

. 15. In a straight independent needle knitting machine having instrumentalities which are ad- JuStable in one direction for-narrowing and in the opposite direction for widening and a drive shaft, the combination of a pair of, intermediate shafts operatively connected tosaid adjustable instrumentalities, a pawl carrier loosely mounted on each ofsaid intermediate shafts and connected to be driven from saiddrive shaft, a ratchet wheel secured on each of said intermediate shafts, a narrowing pawl anda widening pawl, each of said pawls-being pivoted on and rotatable withone of said pawl carriersand biased to engage one of said ratchet wheels, pawl retaining-means fixed in a portion of the path of rotation dash of said pawlsfor holding said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet'wheels,

a gate piece carrier, a narrowingjgate pieceand I a widening gate piece mounted thereon, and

means for moving said gate piece carrier to bring one or the other of said gate pieces into oper ve relation to one of said pawl retaining m whereby one of said pawls remains disengaged I from its ratchet wheel and the other of said pawls is released to engage its ratchet wheel.

16. m a straight knitting machine having a plurality of needle jacks'and independent needles,

a plurality ofsets of controliiaeks operatively tion, said pawl is' released from said retaining 6 connected thereto, cams operatively, engaging means to engage and turn said ratchet wheel and moving said cams-to and from different operative positions to actuate difierent sets of control jacks and a drive shaft, the combination of an inter mediate shaft operatively connected to actuate said cam moving means, a clutch operatively interposedbetween said drive shaft and said intermediate shaft and including a ratchet on said intermediate shaft, a pawl operatively connected for continuous rotation with said drive shaft and biased toward said ratchet and a gate piece movable into and out ofoperative position in relation to said pawl, and means for moving said gate piece in one direction to bring said gate piece I into engagement with said pawl to hold the latter in biased position and in the opposite direction to release said pawl into engagement with said ratchet to impart rotation to said intermediate shaft from said drive shaft.

17. In a straight knitting machine having independent needles and'instrumentalities adjustable in one direction in narrowing and in the opposite direction in widening and a drive shaft,

the combination of a pair of intermediate shafts each rotatable in opposite directions and one of which is operatively connected to move some of said instrumentalities and the other of which is operatively connected to move other of said instrumentalities, a first clutch device operatively related to one of said intermediate shafts, a second clutch device operatively related to the other of said intermediate shafts, each of-said clutch devices having gate pieces and rnguiarly spaced rotatably mounted pawls operatively connected for continuous rotation with said drive shaft, and means arranged and adapted to move the gate pieces of one of said clutch devices to and from operative position to effect rotation of said intermediate shafts one after the other in one direction for narrowing and to move the gate pieces of the other of said clutch devices to and 4 aseasro portions of said sets of control jacks, means for from operative position to efiect rotation of said intermediate shafts one after the other in the opposite direction for widening.

18. In a straight knitting machine of the independent needie type wherein fashioning devices are movable in one direction for narrowing and in the opposite direction for widening and are actuated from a drive shaft, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel intermediate shafts, each provided with a ratchet wheel secured thereon, a rotatable pawl carrier loosely mounted on each intermediate shaft and driven from said driv shaft and having driving connection with the other intermediate shaft, a pawl pivoted on each of said carriers and biased toward said ratchet wheels, a pawl retainer operatively arranged in relation to each pawl and having a gate portion movable into and out of operative pawl engaging position, a gate bar operatively connecting said gat portions and means for actuating said gate bar.

19. In a straight independent needle knitting machine having a plurality of independently conditionable needle jacks, a main drive shaft, an

intermediate shaft,clutch means operatively inte'rposed between said drive shaft and said intermediate shaft and a screw shaft operated from said intermediat shaft, the combination of means for conditioning some of said needle jacks for narrowing, separate means for conditioning others of said needle jacks for decking, means mounted on said screw shaft and arrangedand adapted to transmit simultaneous conditioning movement from said screw shaft to both of said conditioning means, and means operatively interposed between said clutch means and said intermediate shaft and arranged and adapted to connect and disconnect said independent shaft and said drive shaft.

THOMAS S. HAYHURST. 

